Jega, former INEC chairman, joins PRP

Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has joined the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

Jega, who was INEC chairman from 2010 to 2015 and was celebrated for overseeing an election that saw an incumbent president lose for the first time in Nigeria’s history, confirmed to TheCable that he had joined PRP.

PRP is a left-leaning party and may be considered a natural habitat for Jega, who was a union leader during his days as a university teacher.

He was once president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

In a statement on Friday, Abdul Gombe, national publicity secretary of the party, said the move will help re-position the party for more nationalistic outlook ahead of 2023 general election.

According to him, the former INEC boss will spearhead the strength, weakness, opportunities and threat (SWOT) analysis committee of the PRP.

“The PRP at its 62nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on June 22nd in Kaduna decided to set up a 3 (three) Committees to review the performance of the Party in the 2019 General Election with with a view to repositioning the Party for better performance in facing new challenges of Nigerian politics,” he said.

“On the basis of a critical analysis of these, the Committee made up of some of the best intellectuals in Nigeria will recommend to the Party, strategies to adopt for its survival and growth.

“The three Committee are: The SWOT Analysis Committee; Mobilisation Committee, Finance and Funding Committee Membership and mobilisation committee.

“Membership of the mobilisation committee chaired by a person who has been in the PRP for 41 years is to examine and advise the party on how best to grow its membership using the best Ava methods bearing in current voters demography in Nigeria.

“Finance and funding committee whose membership has business persons will examine the current financial status of the PRP and existing funding methodologies as put in the party’s constitution and suggest how best to make the methodologies work as well new ways of raising funds to make it a financially-stable party with a sustainable operation.”

According to Gombe, other persons that made up the three committees are Kabiru Yusuf, publisher and chairman of the Trust newspapers, Momodu Kashim Momodu, George Kwanashie, Ayo Sando, Obi Osisiogwu, and Nathaniel Abraham.

Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna central, had resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest under PRP, but he lost the election.